It would probably come as a surprise to many conservatives that NPR is NOT the darling of everyone on the left.
I myself have serious issues with NPR's MSM approach and will never forgive them for helping to sell the Iraq war. But tonight, they impressed me with just a small sign of intelligent life and maybe even some constructive infighting.
They read no less than 4 letters from listeners, all HIGHLY critical of Juan Williams' absolutely vapid "interview" with George Bush.
To the jump.
Just a bit of background as far as my own feelings about NPR.
I for one stopped giving money to my local affiliate, KOPB, here in Portland when they completely screwed up their coverage of a protest that occurred when Bush visited here in 2002. I won't go into all of the details, but essentially OPB/NPR completely misrepresented the behavior of the police who were highly aggressive. I was there. I later listened to NPR's coverage and it sure didn't sound like the protest I had attended.
I called OPB and NPR separately and told them why I was canceling my membership. I then called my community radio station (who covered the protest far more accurately with volunteer reporters) and have sent my money their way ever since.
So onto the meat of the matter here.
Juan Williams essentially got called out BIG TIME. I heard it, it was great, and I just had to listen to it again on their website.
From NPR's website, "We hear comments from the great number of listeners who write to complain about Juan Williams' interview with President Bush."
Melissa Block and Robert Siegel then went on to read excerpts from at least 4 letters.
Listen to it here.
Most were variations on the "Juan Williams gave softball questions and allowed Bush to say what he wanted" theme.
One started out with "Juan Williams, NPR's best softball pitcher." And then went on to theorize that Williams secured his access to the President and others due to his reputation as "one of the easiest interviewers on the airwaves."
One of the harshest, yet civil, letters called Williams out for his "pablum," as evidenced by the following gush-fest by Williams.
"You know, people are praying for you. The American people want to be with you Mr. President."
Ugh!!
To this, the listener and letter-writer asked, "Is this the type of public relations nonsense that passes for journalism at NPR these days?"
You know, I want to know when FOX is going to stop calling Williams their NPR guest or whatever it is that they call him, and have NPR call him their FOX NEWS guest commentator.
Williams you suck, and your employer just spent good air time making that fact well-known.
You sucked during your brief tenure on "Talk of the Nation," and you still suck.
It's time that NPR said, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Oh and take Mara Liasson with you.